Mrs. Fri Bime, a writer and cultural observer, looks back at how Cameroon’s media and culture fared in 2013.

How would you assess the year 2013 in terms of culture and media performance?

There has been some breakthrough in both cultural and media aspects in 2013. Cameroon’s culture was showcased at festivals in other countries such as Nigeria, Algeria etc. The recent book fair in Yaounde was the first ever to be held. There has certainly been an increase in the number of books published and new writers.

The Ministry of Culture followed this up and instilled some order in the music industry by enabling artistes to vote a new management team for the Cameroon Musical Art Corporation, SOCAM in spite of the nationality controversy. When the African Tourism Association meeting took place in Buea in October 2013, the event was opened with an exhibition of Cameroon’s culture as a way to boost tourism.

The National Ballet represented Cameroon in many international events and thus sold Cameroon’s culture. Cameroonians abroad also held yearly cultural events in their host countries. Concerning the media, the most important event was the appointment of new members to the National Communication Council and the decisions they took to improve media performance.

There was a lot of indecency in the media before, but the Council is enforcing rules and regulations not to prevent freedom of expression or press freedom, but rather to ensure the quality of news and information and the respect of people’s rights. Council members are out to ensure that journalists verify their information well and do not indulge in sensational reporting.

There has been an increase in the number of private media. Such competition is a healthy thing for the industry. There is now greater advocacy for community radios. Soon, it will not matter what language one speaks as people will be able to know and understand what is going on around them and in the world at large in their own languages.

What is the possible impact of some of the 2013 cultural and media happenings on the year 2014?

We can only hope that all the 2013 innovations would make for more cultural activities within and outside the country. We are looking forward to a more responsible and quality media. We hope that the Fourth Estate will go out and research news and information and not just sit in offices and report.

At the same time, I hope the authorities will provide our media practitioners with the necessary resources to enable them carry out their work well. Therefore, the impact of 2013 on 2014 should be an interesting one for culture and media as we look forward to improvements in content, language and the quality of information.

What other challenges do you foresee for Cameroon’s culture and media in 2014?

Cameroon has a rich culture which can compete with the best of the best. However, as a nation or as individual cultural groups, we have not learned how to market this culture. When the different Cameroonian groups in the United States and other countries hold their annual events, one finds them showcasing their culture to themselves! There is no marketing, and thus no economic potential.

Too many cultural festivals take place in Cameroon at about the same time – that is, in December. In March 2013, a heritage preservation partnership agreement was signed with traditional chiefs for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, but no mechanism has been put in place to implement it or enable chiefs to do so. There is an absence or very little use of social media to showcase or report our cultural events.

Access to information remains a nightmare in every sector. The book fair was an excellent idea, but Cameroon lacks a publishing house (in the true sense of the word), especially for writers of Anglophone expression. What exists now are printing facilitators.

What can be done to improve the cultural and media environment in Cameroon?

First of all, I believe that our diverse and rich culture can be a big boost to tourism. We need to use every opportunity to showcase and also market our culture. Within and outside of the country, we are not clients of our culture. We should determine our customers and market our cultural activities accordingly.

With the election of Ndedi Eyango as head of SOCAM and the ensuing debate on dual nationality, Cameroon will have to choose to be consistent one way or the other. Dual nationality cannot continue to be a non-issue in public appointments and sports, and an issue in the music industry.

There has certainly been a lot of improvements in the media sector, but the media still needs to get better. It is important that those in charge of every media aspect enable the actors to do their work in a professional manner by providing them with the necessary tools.

In the developed world, there is really no retirement age for journalists because like good wine, they get better with time. So, it is a shame that we send them on retirement at 55 when they are at their best. I therefore suggest that the retirement age of journalists should be raised to at least 65.